There is more to the Dearne Valley area in Barnsley/Rotherham than just RSPB Old Moor as we found out on Saturday. The whole area is littered with ponds and lakes teeming with wildlife, we checked out two during the afternoon. First stop was at Park Springs which is a regenerated area of coal mining land just outside Grimethorpe (or Grimley if you've seen the film Brassed Off).
The pond/lake here is relitivley new but the number of ducks/geese/swans is execptional for such a small area and unlike the nearby RSPB resereve, you can get up close and personal with the wildlife.
Canada Geese
Park Springs
Mute Swan
Mute Swan
Mute Swan
Canada Goose
We watched a Kestrel for quite a while as it hovered in and around the reserve looking for lunch but it never came quite close enough or the right side of the sun for a decent shot. Another bird of prey also apeared high in the sky, can't be at sure what this was, could possibly have been the Kestrel again but it was much higher and never hovered.
Next on to a lake I've never been to which is in the Manvers area of the Dearne Valley and is right next door to Old Moor, here the wildlife is a little more spread out but the area is lovely to walk round on a hot sunny day. We watch a pair of raptors soaring high in the sky here too, again not close enough for a decent shot but they did have different markings to the high flyer at Park Springs. I'm think these could well have been Buzzards.
Dearne Valley
Dearne Valley
Juvenile Great Crested Grebes
Great Crested Grebe
More images
here by Debbie, even a rare shot of the Little Brown Job himself! Back to work now but we've had a brilliant two weeks birdwatching!
Paul.